Humans
Aliahn Culture Aliahn culture is based on a caste system, but not one as rigid as Vehla. In Aliah there is always room to move upwards if one has the right connections, or downwards if one upsets the wrong people. Physical Description Aliahns vary more than any other human race and there truly is no “typical Aliahn”. They range in skin tone, hair and eye color, height and weight, and every other physical characteristic. If there is any way to describe an Aliahn it would be varied. Racial Traits Their racial traits are the same as what is listed in the Player’s Handbook except the following: +2 to Knowledge(Nobility and Royalty) and Diplomacy skills. Aliah is a nation ruled by nobility and knowing all the different houses is important to anyone of power. Aliahn culture have a strong emphasis on negotiating for your own terms in all situations. They start out knowing Aliahn and Vehlanni languages. Falhastian Physical Description Falhasti tend to be a little taller on average than the other human races. Their skin tends towards paler shades and their hair is generally lighter as well; blue eyes are very common in Falhasti. Falhasti racial traits are the same as humans in the Player’s Handbook except the following: +2 to Climb and Knowledge(geography) skills. Falhasti must know how to climb in the event they need to leave their city (almost all Falhasti cities are most directly accessed by steep rocky trails.) and knowledge of the terrain is vital should one venture onto the mountain trails of Falhast. They start out knowing Duarden and Vehlanni. Culture The people of the Republic of Falhast hold very different beliefs and traditions as compared to the nations of Aliah and Velha (which have heavy influences from the Vela'haari Empire). They hold family bonds as secondary to the bonds of the city and the nation. A reflection of this is in the fact that most Falhastian people do not inherit a second name from family lineage. Instead they select a name of their own, usually in the late teen years. These names vary wildly. Some reflect the city the person is from, some are titles passed down from elders, others are altered names of loved ones or respected leaders, and still others are simply descriptions of what the individual does. A few examples, with their given first names included are: Rorin the Builder, Adakan Stonefoot, Styrr Nastrond, Omundi of Taetruvus, Fastny Ironhewer, Joka Steel of Roin. Illumian Origins In the time before The Raising the great Vela'haar Empire ruled Jord and the lands now known as the Outlands. Their culture was one devoted to the pursuit of power and knowledge. This was mainly attained through the route of arcane magic. One Vela'haari man's pursuit led him to the discovery of what he called Illumian, a language he invented from the patterns of ancient languages of power. Using this language he developed the Ritual of Words Made Flesh. This ritual became the start of a new race that named themselves Illumians after the language that changed them. The Illumians pulled away from the Vela'haari culture, and made their home in the north of Velha, an area now called Ixus. Specifically the majority of the illumian cabals reside in a mountainous area called Sigil Rise. The Raising During The Raising many of the Illumians were killed, and much of their lore and knowledge was lost. The greatest loss to the race was the loss of much of The Ritual's instructions. After The Raising they became even more isolated from the rest of mankind and watched as war tore what remained of the Vela'haar Empire to pieces. Wane of the Ritual In recent years the Illumians have made a startling discovery. Many of the Illumian children born in recent years are not Illumian at all, but are normal humans. Because the Illumian cabals have only a portion of the Ritual this has led to the troubling realization that they are slowly dying out. Many believe that the answer to this problem lies with the Ritual, and as such many Illumians have taken it upon themselves to hunt down the missing parts of it. Cabals * Duskwatcher * Soul of Saulkev (Formerly Soul of Prancalmal) Rahori Physical Description The Rahori people as a whole vary quite a bit, but generally one can tell a Rahori from a Falhasti or Velhanni. Rahori usually have darker skin and hair colors. The exceptions to this are the Nukonsoka who have very pale skin and the Yapai who almost always have blonde hair. Rahori have slightly different racial traits than those listed in the Player’s Handbook which are listed below: +2 to Ride and Survival skills. In the wilds of the south one must know how to fend for themselves and how to saddle a horse/reeha (the large raptors that the Arai ride). Velhanni Physical Description The descendants of the great Vela'haari, Velhanni live in the northern regions of Jord. They are a proud and sometimes arrogant race. Velhanni are generally shorter than the other human races. The one thing that distinguishes them most from other humans is that their eye colors usually tend to be purple, white or silver, and uncommonly gold. In addition their hair tends toward more "unnatural" shades such as blue, purple, teal and silver. This is said to be a result of their strong connection to arcane magic. Racial Traits Aside from the racial traits listed in the Player's Handbook the Vehlanni also have: +2 to Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks. The culture of Vehla surrounds its people with arcano-tech and other magic devices. Proper use and construction of these devices is something that comes as second nature to Vehlanni (a character must still have the skill trained to them as part of a class in order to utilize this bonus.) Category:Races